• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.3651-3656
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• 2012

The size-segregated atmospheric aerosols have been collected at 1100 m site of Mt. Halla in Jeju, a background area in Korea, using 8-stage cascade impact air sampler during Asian dust and non-Asian dust storm periods. Their ionic and elemental species were analyzed, in order to examine the pollution characteristics and composition change between Asian dust and non-Asian dust periods. The major ionic species such as nss-$SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NH_4{^+}$, and $K^+$ were predominantly distributed in the fine particles (below $2.1{\mu}m$ diameter), and besides the $NO_3{^-}$ was distributed more in coarse particle fraction than fine particle. On the other hand, the typical soil and marine species i.e., nss-$Ca^{2+}$, $Na^+$, $Cl^-$, and $Mg^{2+}$, were mostly existed in the coarse particles (over $2.1{\mu}m$ diameter). As well in the elemental analysis of aerosols, the major soil-originated Al, Fe, Ca, and others showed prominently high concentrations in the coarse particle fraction, whereas the anthropogenic S and Pb were relatively high in the fine particle fraction. From the comparison of aerosol compositions between Asian dust and non-Asian dust periods, the concentrations of the soil-originated species such as nss-$Ca^{2+}$, Al, Ca, Fe, Ti, Mn, Ba, Sr have increased as 2.7-4.2 times during the Asian dust periods. Meanwhile the concentrations of nss-$SO_4{^{2-}}$ and $NO_3{^-}$ have increased as 1.4 and 2.0 times, and on the contrary $NH_4{^+}$ concentrations have a little bit decreased during the Asian dust periods. Especially the concentrations of both soil-originated ionic and elemental species increased noticeably in the coarse particle mode during the dust storm periods.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2018

Filter-based sampling techniques are the conventional way to collect particulate matter, but particles collected and entangled in the filter fibers are difficult to be removed and thus not suited for the following cell- and animal-based exposure experiments. Collecting aerosol particles in powder form using a cyclone instead of a filter would be a possible way to solve this problem. We developed a hybrid virtual-impactor/cyclone high-volume fine and coarse particle sampler and assessed its performance. The developed system achieved 50% collection efficiency with components having the following aerodynamic cut-off diameters: virtual impactor, $2.4{\mu}m$; fine-particle cyclone, $0.18-0.30{\mu}m$; and coarse-particle cyclone, $0.7{\mu}m$. The virtual impactor used in our set-up had good $PM_{2.5}$ separation performance, comparable to that reported for a conventional real impactor. The newly developed sampler can collect fine and coarse particles simultaneously, in combination with exposure testing with collected fine- and coarse-particulate matter samples, should help researchers to elucidate the mechanism by which airborne particles result in adverse health effect in detail.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.420-431
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• 2010

The water-soluble components have been analyzed from the total suspended particulate (TSP) collected at Gosan site of Jeju Island for ten years (1997~2006), and the long-term variations of ionic constituent concentrations have been investigated in order to understand the pollution characteristics of atmospheric aerosols. Their mean concentrations were in the order of nss-${SO_4}^{2-}$ > $Na^+$ > ${NO_3}^-$ > $Cl^$ > ${NH_4}^+$ > nss-$Ca^{2+}$ > $K^+$ > $Mg^{2+}$. The ${NO_3}^-$ concentrations had increased somewhat smoothly compared to those of ${SO_4}^{2-}$ for the past 10 years, possibly indicating the recent energy consumption pattern changes in China. The concentrations of ionic aerosol components showed mostly higher values during the Asian Dust storm periods, and the concentration ratios of nss-$Ca^{2+}$, ${NO_3}^-$, and nss-${SO_4}^{2-}$ between the Asian Dust and Non-Asian Dust periods were 6.9, 2.4, and 1.3, respectively. The anthropogenic nss-${SO_4}^{2-}$, ${NO_3}^-$, ${NH_4}^+$ and the soil originated nss-$Ca^{2+}$ components showed high concentrations as the air parcels were moved from the Asia continent, on the other hand, their concentrations were relatively low as moving from the Northern Pacific into the Gosan area.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.E1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2008

In this study, a new PM (particulate matter) sampler was developed and fabricated to collect fine particles in the atmosphere, and laboratory and field tests were carried out to evaluate the performance of the sampler. The PM sampler, which was based on impingers, employed an aerosol condensation system as a PM magnifier to improve its collection efficiencies. Sodium chloride, ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate aerosols were used as test particles, because these components are rich in ambient aerosols. As a result, it was found that the collection efficiency of the novel PM sampler was very high. Thus, it is believed that the PM sampler is an effective device for sampling fine particles. In addition, it was demonstrated that this work could contribute to the collection or removal of fine particles and be applied to the semicontinuous sampling of ambient aerosols for chemical composition analysis.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.217-226
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• 2013

The collection of TSP and $PM_{2.5}$ aerosols has been made at the Gosan Site of Jeju Island during 2008-2011, and their ionic and elemental species were analyzed, in order to examine the seasonal variation and characteristics of aerosol compositions. The anthropogenic components ($NH_4{^+}$, $nss-SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NO_3{^-}$, S, Zn, Pb) and the soil components ($nss-Ca^{2+}$, Al, Fe, Ca) showed high concentrations in spring as the prevailing westerly wind, but the concentrations of the sea-salt components ($Na^+$, $Cl^-$) were high in winter. In TSP, the neutralization by $NH_3$ increased in summer, but the neutralization by $CaCO_3$ increased in spring and fall seasons. The organic acids ($HCOO^-$, $CH_3COO^-$) contributed to the acidification of the aerosols by only 5.0%, so the acidification could be mostly contributed by the inorganic acids ($SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NO_3{^-}$). From the examination of the source origins by factor analysis, the compositions of TSP were influenced by the order of soil > anthropogenic > marine, on the other hand, those of $PM_{2.5}$ were by the order of anthropogenic > marine > soil. The backward trajectory analyses showed that the concentrations of $NH_4{^+}$, $nss-SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NO_3{^-}$ and $nss-Ca^{2+}$ increased highly when the air masses had moved from China continent into Gosan area of Jeju Island.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.190-201
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• 2010

Fine particulate matter < $1.8{\mu}m$ was collected as a slurry using the Semicontinuous Elements in Aerosol Sampler with time resolution of 30-min between May 23 and 27, 2002 at the Sydney Supersite, Florida, USA. Concentrations of 11 elements, i.e., Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn, in the collected slurry samples were determined off-line by simultaneous multi-element graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Temporal profiles of $SO_2$ and elemental concentrations combined with meteorological parameters such as wind direction and wind speed indicate that some transient events in their concentrations are highly correlated with the periods when the plume from an animal feed supplement processing facility influenced the Sydney sampling site. The peaking concentrations of the elemental species during the transient events varied clearly as the plume intensity varied, but the relative concentrations for As, Cr, Pb, and Zn with respect to Cd showed almost consistent values. During the transient events, metal concentrations increased by factors of >10~100 due to the influence of consistent plumes from an individual stationary source. Also the multi-variate air dispersion receptor model, which was previously developed by Park et al. (2005), was applied to ambient $SO_2$ and 8 elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) measurements between 20:00 May 23 and 09:30 May 24 when winds blew from between 70 and $85^{\circ}$, in which animal feed processing plant is situated, to determine emission and ambient source contributions rates of $SO_2$ and elements from one animal feed processing plant. Agreement between observed and predicted $SO_2$ concentrations was excellent (R of 0.99; and their ratio, $1.09{\pm}0.35$) when one emission source was used in the model. Average ratios of observed and predicted concentrations for As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn varied from $0.83{\pm}0.26$ for Pb to $1.12{\pm}0.53$ for Cd.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.E3
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• pp.137-148
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• 2003

In this study, we examined the influence of long-range transport of dust particles and air pollutants on the photochemistry of NO$_3$on Jeju Island, Korea (33.17 N, 126.10$^{\circ}$E) during the Asian Dust-Storm (ADS) period of April 2001. Three ADS events were observed during the periods of 10∼12, 13∼14, and 25∼26 April. Average concentration level of nighttime NO$_3$on Jeju Island during the ADS period was estimated to be about 2 x 10$^{8}$ molecules cm$^{-3}$ ( - 9 pptv). Decreases in NO$_3$levels during the ADS period was likely to be determined mainly by the enhancement of the $N_2$O$_{5}$ heterogeneous reaction on dust aerosol surfaces. The reaction of N20s on aerosol surfaces was a more important sink for nighttime N03 during the ADS due to the significant loading of dust particles. The reaction of $N_2$O$_{5}$ with NMHCs and the gas-phase reaction of N20s with water vapor were both significant loss mechanisms during the study period, especially during the NADS. However, dry deposition of these oxidized nitrogen species and a heterogeneous reaction of NO$_3$were of no importance. Short-term observations of $O_3$, NO$_2$, DMS, and SO$_2$in the MBL indicated that concentrations of most of these chemical species were different between the ADS and non - Asian - Dust-Storm (NADS) periods, implying that their levels were affected sensitively by the differences in air mass trajectories.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.489-499
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• 2019

Subunit vaccines are safer and more stable than live vaccines although they have the disadvantage of eliciting poor immune response. To develop a subunit vaccine, an effective delivery system targeting the key elements of the protective immune response is a prerequisite. In this study, oxidized carbon nanospheres (OCNs) were used as a subunit vaccine delivery system and tuberculosis (TB) was chosen as a model disease. TB is among the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide and an effective vaccine is urgently needed. The ability of OCNs to deliver recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) proteins, Ag85B and HspX, into bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) and dendritic cells (BMDCs) was investigated. For immunization, OCNs were mixed with the two TB antigens as well as the adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL). The protective efficacy was analyzed in vaccinated mice by aerosol Mtb challenge with a virulent strain of Mtb and the bacterial burdens were measured. The results showed that OCNs are highly effective in delivering Mtb proteins into the cytosol of BMDMs and BMDCs. Upon immunization, this vaccine formula induced robust Th1 immune response characterized by cytokine profiles from restimulated splenocytes and specific antibody titer. More importantly, enhanced cytotoxic $CD8^+$ T cell activation was observed. However, it did not reduce the bacteria burden in the lung and spleen from the aerosol Mtb challenge. Taken together, OCNs are highly effective in delivering subunit protein vaccine and induce robust Th1 and $CD8^+$ T cell response. This vaccine delivery system is suitable for application in settings where cell-mediated immune response is needed.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.371-382
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• 2010

TSP and PM2.5 atmospheric aerosols have been collected at Gosan site of Jeju Island, and their compositions were analyzed to understand the pollution characteristics. The composition ratios of nss (non-sea salt)-$SO_4^{2-}$ and $NH_4^+$ were higher in Gosan site than those in other Korean background and urban sites. However the composition ratio of $NO_3^-$ was conversely lower in Gosan site. From the study of aerosol components according to particle sizes, the anthropogenic nss-$SO_4^{2-}$, $NO_3^-$ and $NH_4^+$ components were mostly existed in the fine particles. But the nss-$Ca^{2+}$, $Na^+$, $Cl^-$ and $Mg^{2+}$ originated from soil and marine sources were distributed relatively in the coarse particles. In the seasonal comparison, the concentrations of nss-$Ca^{2+}$, Al, Fe, Ca and $NO_3^-$ increased in spring season, and nss-$SO_4^{2-}$ showed higher concentration in summer and spring seasons. Based on the factor analysis, the atmospheric aerosols in Gosan site have been found to be influenced largely by anthropogenic sources, and next by marine and soil sources. The backward trajectory analyses showed that the concentrations of nss-$SO_4^{2-}$, $NO_3^-$, Pb and nss-$Ca^{2+}$ increased when the air mass moved from Chinese continent to Jeju area. On the other hand, their concentrations decreased when the air mass moved in from the North Pacific Ocean.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.475-485
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• 2001

The presence of airborne particles in the earth atmosphere expert important controls on the global climate because of their effects on the radiative balance. However, there are major uncertainties associated with the direct and indirect radiative effects of aerosols. In addition, their physicochemical properties cannot only the decline of air quality but also damage human health. Airborne particles were collected by two different commercial air samples, high volume sampler(for TSP) and low volume sampler(for P $M_{10}$ ) at the campus of Kunsan National University during February to September, 2000. In most cases, TSP and P $M_{10}$ were sampled once a week for the duration of 24 hours from 9:00 a.m. In addition samples were collected more intenisve, when the yellow dust was expected. Each sample was analyzed for pH and major ions concentration (C $l^{[-10]}$ , S $O_4$$^{2-}$, N $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ , N $a^{+}$, N $H_4$$^{+}$, $K^{+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$) by ion chromatography and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Acidity (pH) of TSP and P $M_{10}$ ranged from 5.09 to 8.51 and from 6.22 to 7.54, respectively. The concentrations of airborne particles were found to satisfy both the short and long-term air quality standards during the sampling period. If the ratio of ionic concentrations originating from None sea salt(Nss) to sea salt(ss) in aerosol samples was concerned, it was found that the ionic concentrations from marine environment contributed dominantly in total mass concentration in the airborne particles. When seasonal trends were examined, the TSP concentrations in spring were higher than those of other seasons. It may result form frequent occurrences of yellow dust and during the spring season. The concentration ratio of P $M_{10}$ to TSP ranged from 0.78 to 1 during the sampling period. pH in the airborne particle was highest during spring, but the other seasons maintained almost same level. These results suggest that alkaline species in yellow dust can directly neutralize aerosol acidity. During spring season, yellow dust could be a positive factor that can defer the acidification of surface soil and water by neutralizing acidic aerosols in the atmosphere.osphere.